Here We Go Again!

It's been a while since my real post. A lot has transpired since then. I wouldn't say that my outlook on life has changed. However, I have taken a new approach to a lot of areas of my life.

Well, it's now November. The year is quickly coming to a close. And I'm somewhere I never thought I would be. God has opened doors for me to do the things I talked about previously.

I mentioned that I wanted more friends. Instead of forcing me to step out of my comfort zone (which may or may not be a good thing), God has brought some familiar faces from my past back into my life. Earlier this year, I ran into my long time friend, Darryl, on MySpace. (FYI: MySpace is great!) Darryl and I went to Michigan Tech together. He and I started together back in 1997. We were introduced by Ms. Danquah, a Michigan Tech recruiter. She thought we would be a perfect match given our similar interests.

Darryl and I could be twins (on the surface). He was a genius at his high school. I attended a high school of geniuses. (I was a wanna-be genius.) He was a strong Christian. I was a strong Christian. He really liked gospel music. And I LOVED gospel music. Did I mention we favored each other a little. Darryl is tall, light skinned and has been known to wear glasses. Although, Darryl's slightly taller than me.

During my freshman year, we were really good friends. We talked. We hung out. We did stuff together. Those were good times. Darryl left Michigan Tech at the conclusion of my sophomore year. We were roommates that year. [I just thought, did I cause Darryl to leave Michigan Tech? No... Darryl was dealing with some serious issues. I was the least of Darryl's problems.]

Regardless, Darryl went on to conquer the world, as far as I knew. He did his thing. I did my thing. New friends replaced the old. I went on to develop very meaningful relationships with my peers at Michigan Tech. If there ever was a time of discovery, my five years at Michigan Tech were just that. I discovered a lot. Some of the things I discovered I will take to my grave. Other things I discovered I'll tell over and over and over again. There were some good times. There were actually a lot of good times. And there were some bad times. And there were a lot of bad times. I often thought that if I had some people (like Darryl) to lean on, I wouldn't have struggled as much during my low moments. (Please don't get me wrong. I didn't miss a beat during any of my dramatic experiences at Tech. It just would have been nice to have some support from people like my friend Darryl. That's all.)

I digress, though. I didn't hear from Darryl again after that sophomore year, until my graduation. I returned to my Detroit home in May 2002. I had just completed a stellar year of academics, achievements and fun. [My senior year of college was great!!!] Anyway, I thought about Darryl. I really have a knack for tracking people down. I don't remember how I found Darryl. The only thing I know is that Darryl had left the confines of the state of Michigan (which really isn't that much confined), and made his way to a military base in Alaska. What the heck?!?

So, on my mother's phone, I dialed the long-distance telephone number to Alaska. Darryl and I chatted. We always liked talking about our families. Family is important. I know I love my brother and parents to pieces. Darryl is the same. He always has something positive to say about his siblings and parents. So, we talked for a while. He gave me the latest on his endeavors. We talked about relationships, work, school, life, Christ, and everything in between. That's what I like about the relationships I have with my close friends. We're able to pick up where we left off, no matter how long we've been apart. You can't find that quality in every relationship.

After I spoke to Darryl that day, it was another dark age before I heard from him again. I still thought about him. I figured he was somewhere doing his thing. That's we did. We did our thing. Most of the people I hang out with are INDEPENDENTS. They are and have been fully capable of thriving and surviving on their own. Their parents did not have to worry about them. It didn't matter where they were in the world, they were going to be alright. And that's how I viewed Darryl. Darryl was too smart to throw his life away. Plus, he had God on his side. You can't beat that.

It was until this year that I caught up with Darrly again, after 4 years. This time, it was on MySpace. God has a way of doing things that just amazes me. I found out Darryl was living in Hawaii. How do you go from Alaska to Hawaii? I don't know. But that's where he ended up - married with a baby on the way. [FYI: All of my friends are doing it real big inthe family department. My best friend is expecting his first child next spring.] But this is the beauty of it. Instead of staying in Hawaii, Darryl had already planned to move in Indiana... to live in the same area as his father... which happens to be in the same city my future mother-in-law lives. Coincidentally, Darryl's father lives in the SAME apartment complex as my mother-in-law. How weird is that? Totally!!!

So, I asked for friends, and God brought me one from Hawaii. How awesome is my God?!?